1 88 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



had a peculiar faculty for searching out the significant thing and 

 limiting his attention to it. Volumes have been written on palmistry, 

 without the slightest practical outcome. Galton at once passed by the 

 conspicuous wrinkles and folds of the palm, " which are no more signifi- 

 cant . . . than the creases in old clothes " and concentrated upon the 

 minute papillary ridges of the thumbs and fingers with the conse- 

 quence of a workable system of finger print identification. 



Correlated with this ability to look with discerning eyes on either 

 side of the beaten trail and into the jungle was a peculiar independence 

 of the herd. Most investigators are not surveyors merely, but in so far 

 as specialty fences will allow, crowd with the gregariousness of cattle 

 into the same field. Ecological surveys are in fashion to-day, centri- 

 fuging eggs holds the attention of the crowd to-morrow. Francis 

 Galton's association with men was wide and intimate, he sought help 

 from those of the most diverse accomplishments and always urged 

 friendly cooperation and criticism, but as a conceiver of problems and 

 methods his independence was all but complete. Perhaps this self 

 reliance was gained in his early explorations. It is seen not merely 

 in the formulation of problems, but in his freedom from the conven- 

 tional paraphernalia and impedimenta of research. Every difficulty or 

 emergency was an opportunity ; the ready ingenuity was in direct pro- 

 portion to difficulties opposed. Many uses for the sextant may be 

 found in the literature, but it required a Galton to apply it for obtain- 

 ing anthropometric measurements of Hottentot dignitaries where 

 conventional methods might have been undiplomatic. Most travelers 

 when ready to sail from a country would have swallowed their wrath 

 at the loss of a favorite ox or would have retaliated blunderingly. By 

 putting himself under the command of a Hottentot chief with his band, 

 with the stipulation that a flogging was to be the only punishment of 

 the Damara miscreants, Mr. Galton at once turned the annoying inci- 

 dent into a golden opportunity of studying the tactics of a savage raid. 



Francis Galton by his studies of noteworthy men of science found 

 that no special education other than self instruction is really necessary 

 to the attainment of eminence. Access to superior tuition and labora- 

 tories have doubtless helped some to attain distinction who could not 

 otherwise have done so, but they are by no means all important factors. 

 " The facts that lie patent before the eyes of every medical man, engi- 

 neer and the members of most professions, afford ample material for 

 researches that would command the attention of the scientific world 

 if viewed with intelligence and combined by a capable mind." The 

 truth of these views he exemplified by his own life. 



Writing of scientific eminence and scientific ability in 1869 Mr. 

 Galton observed that some men become renowned because of a single 

 striking discovery. Others of equally high natural gifts and energy in 

 application have not this good fortune. Their results are valuable 



